Unspooled

Earwolf, Paul Scheer & Amy Nicholson - TV & Film

Average rating:

4.5

out of 1461 ratings.

Great podcast!

by RaineF77 on Dec 14, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I love Paul and Amy together on this podcast and tend to side with them on their opinions of the movies. It has me watching movies that I had no interest in the past and gets me through part of my workday on Thursday afternoons.

Pretty Good Podcast...Please Stop Political Stuff

by Ravedao on Dec 13, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Good podcast (big fan of Paul from The League).Annoying (yet so typical) is the "funny" political quips. Typical Lefty bullsh*t.Antonin Scalia contempible because he holds a different viewpoint than Amy? Shes not worthy to even speak his name.

Hjmm

by williamshears on Dec 12, 2018

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Hmm

A fun and positive podcast that rekindled my love of film

by MarisaPizza on Dec 08, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I stumbled upon this podcast through Stitcher and I came here specifically to share how much I love this podcast. I have listened to almost every episode (there are a few movies I havenât seen yet so Iâm waiting) in less than a week. Amy and Paul bring humor, research, and a positive disposition to each episode while still presenting their personal and educated opinions on each film. Iâve recommended this podcast to quite a few friends and one point I seem to emphasize is the positive nature of these movie âreviewsâ, as it were. No one is being overly cynical yet when there is an issue, and I often side with Amyâs interpretation of some male-dominated films, criticism is approached in a well-tempered manner which allows for a greater overall discussion. This podcast has rekindled my love for film and discussion, and I am so grateful for it. While I studied film and literature in school itâs been such a long time since I truly enjoyed sitting down and watching movies and actually analyzing them. Now Iâm chewing off everyoneâs ear about Citizen Kane and Casablanca and especially A Clockwork Orange. So much love for this podcast and these wonderful hosts. The only downside here is that these are just American films and that this podcast, by nature, has an expiration date. I find myself sitting down to watch Fellini or Kurosawa and want to hear an episode of Unspooled about each film. Can not recommend enough, as many of my friends can attest.

Great podcast

by roodboinboston on Dec 08, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I really enjoy this podcast. I think Amy and Paul discuss films in a way that is accessible to normal people like me while also providing a lot of details about how the film was made. I think itâs really great. You can tell Paul does a lot of research and heâs super excited to do this podcast and I love that. I love Paul in every podcast heâs on. Heâs wonderful. And these 2 are great. Granted some episodes I didnât listen all the way through but thatâs bc I was just super bored by the film. Give this podcast a try. Start with a title youâre really interested in first and get a feel for their style. Then go back and start from the beginning.

I love this

by sweetashley on Dec 08, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

In the pantheon of podcasts this one shall ascend to the highest of levels. Paul and Amy have the greatest insights on filmmaking everyone has heard about but few have seen.

Outstanding!

by tsar1900 on Dec 07, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

The best movie Podcast on the web, this coming from a lifetime move nut. They make a few small mistakes every now and then but nothing major. Paul said once he never herd of the movie Nicholas and Alexandra, too bad, a great movie he should watch.

New favorite podcast!

by AjDont on Dec 05, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Itâs everything - listen and learn about great film. Itâs easy.

Great idea!

by iTunesAddict82 on Dec 01, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

This is so much fun to watch along!!

Clockwork Orange:

by Jordon Peterson on Dec 01, 2018

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

6:27 minutes of incoherent babbling before they gets to the movie topic. Listeners would appreciate a short outline of topics. This should be about Clockwork Orange, not a stream of Conscience of previous shows. Perhaps best to save the Misc Stuff for the end of show or for your Facebook or Twitter Feed. - Thanks

Youâre negative, read this.

by Wolvie76 on Nov 30, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

The point of this podcast isnât to have film theory experts review films already reviewed to death. The point is to represent the AFI list to a new generation in a fresh way. Many of these films have a heritage of being represented as the best in American film, and are golden calves. Why not allow millennial eyes the opportunity through this introduction to these great classics? I like that an actor and a film critic claim they have not seen these. In fact, Paul said he wanted to do unspooled because he was embarrassed how many films he had not seen. Thatâs the point. These film are great. Why are they great? Are they still great?What I enjoy is the reinterpretation of many of these films. Great questions like: are these overly male fantasy driven? Are they still entertaining/watchable? Etc etc.The guy who said citizen Kane show did nothing for him... well, a one hour podcast still wouldnât be enough.Truly, Iâll say Paul has exhausted his brainâs ability to digest another bad movie due to HDTGM. This podcast was a palate cleanser, and I anticipate he directs post this excursion.

Gets annoying

by Lolaaaaa725 on Nov 25, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

While I like the premise of this podcast and Paul Scheer, the episodes are really inconsistent in their entertainment and educational value. Also, the other cohost routinely makes pretty ignorant comments that arenât informative or clever.

Breakdown of Culture or Cultural Breakdown?

by Andy Lobb on Nov 22, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I had an epiphany while listening to Amy Nicholson on this podcast: the zeitgeist of todayâ2018âis essentially inserting your political viewpoints into content and subject matters that have nothing to do with one another, then hypocritically posturing yourself as superior for having said viewpoints. Donât get me wrong; I love film, and I appreciate a semi-analytical podcast critiquing and working through and re-working the establishmentâs âbest films.â But why do we have to superimpose our own dogmas onto the very things meant to help us temporarily escape the cultural prisons we build for ourselves. I want to watch Apocalypse Now because Marlon Brando and Coppola are genius and entertaining. I want to hear a discussion about Orson Welles and his contribution to society, not how President Trump is retroactively Citizen Kane.I want to learn why The French Connection influences buddy cop movies for nearly half a century not how our politicians are disconnected from modern New York. Maybe hearing our content producerâs political views is part of the deal these days, and yet I sense there are more tactful ways of doing it. For example...Charles W Chuck Bryant does a fantastic job with the âMovie Crushâ podcast keeping his show mostly apolitical while also keeping his listeners informed on where he stands on various subjects. You can show your stance on matters without explicitly stating that Trumpâs America scares you. Like the famous rule in theatre/film: âShow, Donât TellâI digress. I agree with some of the lower reviews here that state Paul Scheer is rather submissive to Nicholsonâs opinions and remarks. That said, I donât think the podcast suffers entirely because of it. What can we expect? Nicholson is trying to capture the zeitgeist and she executes (see above). Never mind the fact that sheâs a white female with a voice and rarely uses it to state firmly and aggressively what she believes. Sheâs a virtue signaler, like any other person who comments on culture and has a moderate following. The real activists donât do it for the lolz. I like the concept of this podcast, and I enjoy the opportunity to learn more about AFIs 100. I think Paul Scheer should have more personality, perhaps go a bit more head to head with Amy (be bold, be loud, Paul), and bring that famous humor! Iâll keep listening, keep rolling my eyes when needless political or gender-based commentary works its way into the podcast, and go on with my life. Itâs entertainment and a podcast about entertainment. Why so serious?

Love

by hhhsgggdhrrloirj on Nov 19, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I love this podcast! Itâs totally making me want watch these films either for the first time or again to see if I can get more out of these movies since Iâve gotten older

Film Primer in Podcast Form

by Jkru1988 on Nov 17, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I really enjoy this podcast, Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson have great chemistry together and they clearly know their stuff when it comes to movies, and I appreciate the examination of the context of when these movies came out versus how they come across today. Iâm just mentally preparing myself for the Goodfellas one because Iâm simultaneously afraid yet excited to hear more of Amyâs thoughts on Scorsese (For the record I love the movie)! Anyway, great podcast, I highly recommend it!

Weekly Joy

by MegSmith on Nov 15, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I look forward to this podcast every week. Paul and Amy have great chemistry and a love of film that leaves me feeling like Iâve just had an interesting and fun conversation with friends.

HDTGM brought me here

by Jennywiggins on Nov 14, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

And Iâm staying. I just watched the documentary âTheyâll love me when Iâm deadâ about Orson Welles last film that was never released. Listening to unspooled made that doc (about a movie that made no sense) make sense. At least I was familiar with all the players involved.Thanks for the informative and entertains podcast. Canât wait for the rest of the reviews.

Down with Shawshank

by ephender on Nov 09, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Amy taking down movies like SHAWSHANK that men who prefer movies with all-male casts (but not THAT way) is worth all five stars.

Great job!

by Johna419 on Nov 08, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

This show is fresh. Instead of having a historical context on the films selected, the cast goes into many of these movies having not seen them. Love this approach and the background they dig up on the films. Keep up the great job!

Top notch show!

by Nickzol on Nov 08, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Just such a quality show. From the format/structure to the knowledge of the hosts to the professionalism and talent of Paul and Amy, this show is of the highest level of engagement and entertainment.

Like this show enough to hear about movies I have no intention of seeing!!

by Jasmin193 on Nov 07, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I really like these two hosts. They are intelligent, thoughtful, and smooth as broadcasters. I started listening out of interest for some favorite movies like The Wizard of Oz, but realized I enjoy the show enough to slowly go through their whole archive, including for movies Iâll probably never watch. In a sense, itâs kind of like a Clifâs notes way to learn about those famous films, and I still get some movie-making trivia and history throughout. There are lots of films left on the list to look forward to, and I hope even after theyâre done with the 100, that theyâll find another podcast concept to do together.

!

by hasonjask on Nov 07, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Super listenable and smart observations - a great vehicle to rediscover and talk about fantastic movies. I look forward to every new episode.

Movie classics from a similar perspective

by Numbbaby on Nov 04, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I love movies and have seen many, many of them, but I find myself matching fairly perfectly with what the hosts have and have not seen on the AFI list. Yeah, I've seen the more recent-y classics like E.T. and Bonnie and Clyde...but not The General or The African Queen. So I find listening to similar fans/reviewers of film who are schooled on the classics to roughly the same degree as I am is a refreshing way to hear about these films. And then dive deeper into these films than I've heard before. And both of the hosts are very engaging to listen too, as well as whom they interview. Yeah, Unspooled, I'm in for the whole list.

Not every movie is political

by JDCSIX on Nov 03, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Iâve enjoyed all your podcasts. Amy can you please stop with all the political references. I get it you do not like President Trump. I look forward to the rest of the list...

The Best, Obviously

by vickdang on Nov 02, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Paul is eager, fun, goofy, open and insightful. Amy is eager, fun, goofy, open and insightful. This podcast is fun, goofy, open and insightful.Thanks to these 2 for both commerorating and taking down the AFI list.

Kinda Ok

by jsnsm7 on Oct 31, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I was excited to listen to this podcast as I am a huge film fan and many years ago went through about 75% of the AFI list. I must say overall Iâm pretty disappointed with the podcast, Iâve listened to every episode up to Psycho. I have to agree with a lot of the comments here that the hosts seem a bit out of their league when it comes to film. Even though Amy is a film critic, she does herself a disservice by time and time again coming down on directors for being white, egomaniacal males while at the same time giving James Cameron a complete pass since he directed Titanic, one of her all time favorite films. He is known for being a tyrant on set and pushing people and whole companies further than anyone should be pushed.Paul is a lot of fun to listen to and I enjoy their chemistry but he doesnât push back on any of Amyâs strange and hypocritical opinions.Itâs a great concept for a podcast but subject matter like this needs hosts that understand classic film. These two donât.

Far exceeded expectations

by dabrams107 on Oct 31, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

If you enjoy interesting conversation between 2 engaging and skilled podcast hosts as they reflect and dissect each film in the AFIâs 2007 top 100, than this podcast is for you. The behind-the-scenes tidbits and well-researched insight from both Amy and Paul works to bring in even the most casual of film viewers. What I appreciate most is that even when itâs a film I havenât seen/donât care to see, I can still throughly enjoy the podcast and not feel like I am missing anything. Every episode is well structured and paced. Just a super enjoyable listen experience all around!

Time to give it up

by Kate Hhwinslett on Oct 25, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Was really looking forward to this show at first. Love Paul Sheer from HDTGM and was eagerly awaiting hearing what he and Amy Nicholson had to say about great films. And man have I ever been disappointed by their glib, misinformed, and âcuteâ dissections of some of those great films. I just donât understand why these two are in the position of hosting something involving so much classic cinema - they donât seem to like it much nor understand the appeal. Yes, theyâre self-proclaimed movie fans, but itâs grown difficult to listen to film criticism from, particularly, a person who prefers TITANIC or WHEN HARRY MET SALLY over SWING TIME. Their opinions donât seem to be based in much more than a glance through IMDB and their lack of historical perspective is surprising. Everyoneâs entitled to their opinion, and my opinion is that movie lovers should listen to criticism from those whoâd seen CITIZEN KANE, SWING TIME, and THE AFRICAN QUEEN before they had to sit down and watch it so they could talk about it on their podcast.

Fantastic Podcast

by Letgoggophers on Oct 24, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

This podcast is so entertaining- Iâm not sure if I enjoy the episodes on movies Iâve seen or not seen more - both are enjoyable. Paul and Amyâs insights are great and most of the interviews are also fascinating. Great for movie lovers.

Love Unspooled!

by MinnieMagnolia on Oct 23, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I actually started this project myself 5 or 6 years ago (just the watching, not the podcast). I was so excited when I heard you guys were doing this! I will be listening to every episode!!

Fantastic show about film

by Warp zone Graphics on Oct 21, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I absolutely love this podcast. Iâve been a fan of Paul Scheer forever due to his work on many other shows. Amy Nicholson I wasnât familiar with, and sheâs just amazing. Sheâs incredibly witty, intelligent and perceptive, and just perfect as a voice to go with Paulâs. And Iâve started reading her work, and sheâs just as amazing in print. Great show about great films. Donât miss it!

Simple premise, amazingly entertaining!

by horsefootprintface on Oct 19, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Itâs a very simple premise, watch great movies from a list and talk about them.. I love Dr. Andre Nosedick and HDTGM.. Human Giant, etc. I thought this might be a little too simple and milk-toast but Amy and Paul have great chemistry, know what they are talking about, are insightful and most importantly funny as hell! Amy Nicholson is awesome and I am excited to listen to her other podcasts and whatever else she does! Srsly, LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST!! Also who the eff reads a review this long all the way to the end? Iâm talking to myself.. but great podcast and donât let this just be an AFI list thing, ok.. Iâm done!Sincerely,Paulâs Mother

Quickly became a favorite podcast

by PrinceHarming on Oct 18, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I donât know how long hosts Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson have known each other but they come across as life long friends. They have an easy effortless banter, never step over each otherâs words and an obvious love for movies. I canât wait for each new episode.

.

by A Vercio on Oct 15, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I came across this podcast after hearing Amy Nicholson on FilmWeek. Itâs great to hear them take a look at the classics. Amy is a an insightful critic and Paul really engages with each of the movies.

Half of this duo is great

by Whofan on Oct 12, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Paul is entertaining as always but critic Amy seems to carry some prejudices into her reviews...and in many cases seems to review actors and focus on behind the scenes gossip instead of the films themselves.

Love it

by Misfits21 on Oct 09, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Listened to the E.T. Podcast on HDTGM and got hooked.

Not great. Not even good.

by azalltheway on Oct 07, 2018

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Paul Scheer is usually great, but he brings no personality to this show. And I'm not sure Amy Nicholson likes or has ever watched movies.

Well-researched, -discussed, and -produced

by scottzophrenic on Oct 06, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Brilliant idea, like something my friends and I would do. I love hearing behind-the-scenes information about such familiar titles and new perspectives/interpretations of the movies I grew up with. The guest interviews are also very insightful. The only thing that would make this experience even better would be more Jason and June. Maybe last episode?

Hilarious & Thoughtful

by ashgebs on Oct 05, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Paul Scheer is as funny and delightful as ever, but Amy Nicholson is a REVELATION.Sheâs witty, insightful, charming, and kind. She has a way of pointing out connections and references that blows my mind and really deepens my appreciation for films. I especially love when she gives inside-baseball perspective that explains critical response to the films. Also her emphasis on sound editing has given me a whole different dimension through which to appreciate movies. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

A Thoroughly Fun Journey Through American Cinema

by listening with ears on Oct 04, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

This has been so much fun to go through this list with both of these folks. Paul Scheer brings the perspective of someone that has worked in movies & Amy Nicholson brings the vantage point of a professional critic. Do I always agree with their assessments â absolutely not. The both of them come from the "Poptimism" vantage point, that is oh so in vogue in contemporary criticism â so they both tend to overrate (in my opinion) films like Titantic & Singing in the Rain and underrate films like 2001 and The French Connection. But that's OK, they are both so fun & charming and the fun part of discussing art is the differeing opinions & view points. Also they bring in some fantastic guests â I am so glad they brought in people to really interrogate the "black face" issue of Swing Time â it would've been too easy for them to gloss over that & just focus on the fun stuff. Keep up the good work!

Horrible

by Lfollender on Oct 04, 2018

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I love HDTGM and so listened to this podcast...was hugely disappointed. Tune in if you want to hear Paul pander and be overly deferential to a lady critic who obviously has a HUGE axe to grind; she has ridiculously gender-skewed opinions and is basically a hater....extremely negative and seems much more interested in deconstructing the cult of personality around filmmakers (directors in particular but writers get lambasted as well) than she is in evaluating movies on their own merits. Paul, usually positive and funny, is mewling and absorbs her opinions for the most part, so we donât get much of a counter point or push back. Also, this podcast is extremely dry and not funny at all. Paul should sub this lady out and get Jason Mantzoukas.

Cannot get enough!

by RMC1720 on Oct 04, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Fantastic! Great discussions about movies every movie fan should see. The hosts do a great job of introducing new info and/or fun facts about each film. Well paced and broken into logical sections. The hosts are easy to listen to and very knowledgeable. Skip the movies you haven't seen and use this as an excuse to see each of the 100 to make your own decisions. Keep up the awesome work!

Enjoy

by jnick85 on Oct 04, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Very entertaining. Good conversations between the hosts.

Lots of fun!

by Holly J. Cross on Oct 03, 2018

Rating: ★★★★☆

Paul and Amy are fun to listen to!!! As they talk about each movie, they give their honest thoughts on how they view the movie overall and whether it really does belong on the top 100. They have interesting guests and funny call-in questions. If you are a seasoned cinefile or are just beginning, you'll find going through the AFI's list very entertaining.

Wow soooo boring

by No Koch on Oct 02, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I listened to the first few episodes of this and now have unsubscribed. This is long and boring podcast about movies most people donât bother with anymore. Lists of top movies is basically bad for movies. The hosts have a hard in for Spielberg. If you love movies but for your own reasons then stay away.

Inspires to watch great movies

by mmkred on Oct 02, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

The execution of the concept for this podcast is exceptional. This podcast breathes life into the AFI 100 list. Their conversations and behind the scenes nuggets of information are terrific and inspires me to watch the movies that I have not already seen. It is great that Paul continues to surround himself with talented hosts, since he is uninteresting and lacks any comedic talents.

Very Enjoyable

by Turkeylegg32 on Oct 01, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

Both hosts are very knowledgeable, but please quit hammering the pc agenda. Do another show about movies that should be on the AFI list if prejudice was not involved.

Platoon episode

by Vinny75 on Sep 29, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

I love the Platoon episode!! Every episode has been great! Can Jason Mantzoukas be a guest person for whenever you do the movie âDuck Soupâ??

Quit being so agreeable

by Swift. Lee on Sep 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Great show but Paul seems almost scared to disagree or debate anything Amy says. Itâs too bad because a lot of what Amy says is rubbish.

Apocalypse Then

by not rapey on Sep 27, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Does it deserve to be on the list....maybe?!? But I cannot stand listening to post #metoo-like podcasts that always view classics through that lens. Movies are an escape. This episode made me think it was part of the Kavanaugh hearings sometimes.